SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Fresh off of their first true road win of the season, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (12-1, 0-0 WCC) continued their dominance at home with a 64-52 victory over Southern Illinois (7-5, 1-0 MVC) on Wednesday afternoon at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Wasting no time out of the gates, the Dons raced out to an early 4-0 lead on back-to-back baskets in the post from forwards Patrick Tapé and Yauhen Massalski.
• After a quick run from the Salukis that saw SIU take a 9-6 lead, Jamaree Bouyea put USF back on top for good, 10-9, with a jumper at 15:05 in the first half. Following this field goal, the Dons would not relinquish their advantage the rest of the night.
• With just over ten minutes remaining in the first half, WCC three-point field goal percentage leader Julian Rishwain cashed in on his first triple of the afternoon to keep USF in front, 16-13. Keeping their foot on the gas pedal, Rishwain's second three of the half came at the buzzer as the Los Angeles native nailed a tough shot on the wing to give the Dons a double-digit lead at the break, 36-26.
• Coming out of halftime, SIU responded by trimming their deficit to five points less than two minutes into play, but the Dons answered once again with a 9-2 run of their own to push their advantage back to ten, 43-33, following a dunk and layup from Massalski.
• As the action played on, USF continued to have their way on both sides of the ball as another basket from Massalski at 7:22 gave the Dons a 20-point lead, 59-39, which would also prove to be their largest lead of the night.
• Completing their job defensively, USF held the Salukis scoreless in the final 3:48 of regulation to fend off one last rally and improve to 8-0 at home with a 64-52 win. Notably, Wednesday marked the third time this season in which the Dons have held their opponents to under 60 points (49 vs. GCU, 55 vs. Samford) this season. 

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Dominating from the start, Bouyea was named Player of the Game after finishing with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-4 from distance. Overall, the Seaside native also added 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 35 minutes played. Impressively, this performance also marked the seventh time in thirteen games this year in which Bouyea has finished with 20 or more points.
• Flirting with another double-double, Massalski tallied double figures for the ninth time this season and the sixth time in his last seven games after totaling 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal against the Salukis.
• As a team, USF led SIU in points in the paint (38-30), fast break points (4-1) and bench points (15-11).
• Grabbing their ninth victory at home this year on Wednesday, the Dons are one of only four teams in the WCC to remain undefeated on their home floor (Saint Mary's/8-0, Gonzaga/7-0, BYU/5-0). 

POSTGAME:

• To view the full highlights of tonight's contest, please click here.
• To view the full postgame interview with head coach Todd Golden, please click here. 
• To view the full postgame interview with guard Jamaree Bouyea, please click here.

UP NEXT:
USF will return to the hardwood next Tuesday, Dec. 28 for their final non-conference match of the season when the Dons host Academy of Art at 6:00 pm at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. Live streaming, live statistics, radio and ticket links are available via the team's schedule page.
 
TICKETS AND MERCHANDISE:
Single-game tickets for non-conference basketball games are currently on sale at www.usfdons.com/tickets. Tickets for West Coast Conference opponents are now also on sale and can be purchased here.
 
Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at www.usfdons.com/shop.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.